Larry Rose was forced to grow up in a hurry. In the 1985 season opener against Georgia, Rose, a highly recruited offensive tackle from Gadsden, became Alabama’s first true freshman of the modern era—since the advent of permanent freshmen eligibility in 1972—to start in his first game. A powerful blocker who helped clear the way for record-setting tailback Bobby Humphrey and other offensive stars of the Perkins and Curry eras, Rose earned All-America and All-SEC honors as a senior in 1988.